Blood Loss
by Butterfly Bandage
Summary: “She was bleeding, she was screaming my name, and I couldn’t even fight my way through to help her.” Mildly Hud/Marlena


**A/N:**_Cloverfield_, hands down, is one of the best modern monster movies ever. No competition in my opinion. So, anyways, I _love _Hud/Marlena, because for one thing it was kind of canon right before she died, I think. If they hadn't died, I personally think they would've gotten together. But that's just me. So this takes place in that gap between Hud saying "What just happened" and the close-up of Lily.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. J.J. Abrams owns it, I think.

**Summary: **"She was bleeding, she was screaming my name, and I couldn't even fight my way through to help her." Mildly Hud/Marlena

**.:X:.  
****blood loss  
****.:X:.**

"What just happened?" Hud switched the camera off, shivering uncontrollably. He couldn't get the visual out of his head—Marlena, her eyes bleeding, screaming for him, being forced away behind that yellow curtain, her stomach… her stomach bubbling and expanding, then—

Oh God. He felt bile rise in his throat and choked it back, still shaking. His cheeks were wet, and when he raised his left hand to see what it was, the tips of his fingers were stained with watered-down blood. He was crying. He hadn't even noticed; he was still too shell-shocked. Rob still had a hand up to his mouth, staring into space, and Lily was leaning against the wall, silent tears streaked down her face.

Marlena's eyes… her stomach…

He couldn't hold it back—he'd seen too much, more than anyone should ever have to see in three lifetimes. Not caring if anyone saw, he stumbled off to the side, away from the small group, and threw up as quietly as he could, just managing to flip the camera so that it was hanging down his back.

"_Thanks for coming back for me."_

"_What, you think I'm the kind of person who wouldn't do that?"_

"_No… No. I know you aren't. I'm just saying… I'm glad you did. Otherwise, I would totally be dead."_

_She smiled and laughed a little bit._

"'_Yeah?" _

"_Yeah."_

The first conversation he'd ever had with her without sounding like a douche bag. The first time he did something _right _around her. He'd gotten her to smile, to laugh. And now she was gone.

Hud threw up again, holding his stomach with one hand, the other hand pressed against the wall to keep himself from falling over completely. Someone touched his shoulder and he jumped, the camera smacking against his side.

Lily stared at him for a long moment, took in his red-rimmed eyes, the tears that still lingered, but most of all, the lost look of a scared young child, instead of a grown man. She gently guided him back to the group and sat him down, before sitting right down next to him and returning her hand to his shoulder. Pryce was graciously giving them a moment to grieve, and Rob was still rather shell-shocked. He made no mention of Beth, but instead stared at the wall.

"Are you okay?" Lily whispered, and Hud shook his head, staring at the ground.

"You tell me."

"You don't look okay."

"_Hud… I don't feel so good."_

"_Oh God. Marlena?"_

"_We've got a bite!" "Wait, Marlena?" "Hud!" "Wait, where are you taking her? Marlena! Let _go _of me—_MARLENA_!" "Hud!"_

"I'm not," he whispered, reliving that horrifying moment again. He buried his face in his hands and mused up his hair, growling in frustration. He couldn't get her voice out of his head—mere minutes ago, _minutes_, the girl that probably mattered most to him had been screaming for him, not asking for help, just his name, and he couldn't do anything.

"Hud," Lily said slowly, "I'm gonna ask again, and it's going to sound stupid, but… are you alright? Not okay, but physically?"

He shook his head and leaned back, staring at the blood on his hands. He gingerly poked the open cut above his eyebrow and winced. "Nothing broken," he muttered. "Covered in scratches from the—" he paused, seeing Marlena's eyes bleeding again. "...those things."

Lily stared at him for a long moment, and then leaned her head back.

"We couldn't do anything, Hud," she said, her voice shaking.

He returned his face to his hands. "I know," he mumbled. "It's just… she was bleeding, she was screaming my name, and I couldn't even fight my way through to help her." He looked at Lily with pleading eyes. "I just feel like I should've been there. I should've… I dunno what I would've done. But anything would've been better than just standing there."

"You weren't just standing there."

"I felt like it. I feel like it's my fault she was alone when she died."

Lily buried her face in her hands, sniffing and wiping away more tears. Hud, seeing that she was probably at her emotional limit, switched the camera back on as he said quietly, "Never mind. Forget it."

"C'mon," Pryce said suddenly. "I shouldn't even be doin' this shit. C'mon."

"_I shouldn't even be here."_

"_I'm sorry."_

Hud aimed the camera, staring down into the viewing screen, doing anything possible to get the images out of his head.

None of them should be there. But they were.

**.:X:.  
end  
.:X:.**

**A/N: **That… didn't come out at ALL the way I wanted it to. Ah well.

Reviews? They make me feel loved.


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